[84xtracab]

I as a fabricator and a cheapskate, I wanted to run an idea by the board.

I want to improve the anti-sway characteristics of my daily driver with out spend big bucks on a new sway bar, here is an idea:

In order for a sway bar to work, it has to be attached to the lower control arms of the vehicle, and sometimes also to the frame at the pivot points. Most front sway bars have some form of end link that attaches the bar to the control arms. Stock factory type end links usually consist of a long, thin bolt, with washers and bushings where the bolt passes through the bar and the lower control arm.

Non-performance vehicles often use soft rubber bushings in the end links, but these offer very little resistance to bar movement. With rubber end link bushings, the bar lever ends can move up to 1" or more before actually transferring the full force of the bar to the control arm. Performance vehicles substitute urethane bushings in the end links which offer more resistance than soft rubber, and allow less bar movement before transferring the load to the control arm. However even urethane end link bushings give way, and make the bar much less effective than if it were solidly attached.

The best setup by far is to have a solid attachment to the control arm, which instantly transfers the force of the bar. Unfortunately one cannot normally bolt the bar directly to the control arms, because the suspension is independent, and allows more movement than a solid mount would allow.

To solve this problem, make a bar to use special end links made from tie rods which directly attach the bar to the control arms, but also allow for full suspension movement. Tie rods are completely quiet in operation like the stock type end link, but they are MUCH stronger and instantly transfer the bar force to the control arm. They can handle loads far greater than the stock thin bolt end links used in the stock front sway bar, and make any bar much more effective in operation as they take the bushings out of the equation.

Something like this:

What do you think? Have you seen one?

 

[thecarman]

This setup will function fine. Just use quality rod ends if you care about them being quiet and not getting sloppy. And don't use anything crappy that will break when you load it up when the suspension flexes (even if not off-roading, like when you go around a curve, or over a speed bump crooked, or put one wheel on a curb, etc).

This may or may not increase your roll stiffness. If your factory bushings are worn out and/or give a lot, this mod can tighten things up, which would mean more roll stiffness, and more predictable since there would be no slop. But if your factory stuff is binding now, this setup will free things up to move like it should, which would DECREASE roll stiffness.

If you are looking for smooth operation, this setup will do that for you. If you are looking for more roll stiffness, you will need a bigger sway bar.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[CrazyHorse]

rod ends for the end links are standard in racing applications, my BOSS 302 has rod end links at all 4 corners, and our electric race car here at school does too. The amazing thing on the E-Car is that the rod ends are only 3/8" rod ends, and it's not exactly a low stress application, as the car will pull 1.6 G's cornering...